Julian II

Flavius Claudius Iulianus was born in 331 or maybe 332 A.D. in Constantinople. He ruled the Western Empire as Caesar from 355 to 360 and was hailed Augustus by his legions in Lutetia (Paris) in 360. Julian was a gifted administrator and military strategist. Famed as the last pagan emperor, his reinstatement of the pagan religion earned him the moniker "the Apostate." As evidenced by his brilliant writing, some of which has survived to the present day, the title "the Philosopher" may have been more appropriate. He died from wounds suffered during the Persian campaign of 363 A.D.

Paris,
Louvre

JULIAN II The Apostate

|Caesar|, 6 November 355 - February 360 A.D.
|Augustus|, February 360 - 26 June or July 363 A.D.

by Federico Morando

Flavius Claudius Iulianus ,
know as Julian the Apostate, was born in 331 (or maybe 332) A.D. in
Constantinople. He ruled as Caesar the Western part of the Empire
between 355 and 360; he was hailed Augustus by his legions in
Lutetia (Paris) in 360. His death was caused by wounds he suffered
during the Persian campaign of 363.

The Youth and the First Exile

Julian was the son of Iulius Constantius, Constantine's
half-brother. When he was six years old, in the fall of 337, Julian and
Constantius Gallus, his older brother, were the only two spared during the
massacre of the male heirs of Constantius I Chlorus. (Responsibility for this
carnage was attributed to Constantius II, the eastern Augustus at that time, and
Julian’s cousin.) For Julian this was the beginning of a “golden” exile,
under the tutelage of the eunuch Mardonius and the philosopher Nicocles – the
latter secretly a pagan.

Constantius II, Augustus 22 May 337 - 3 November 361 A.D.

In 312 A.D., Constantine dreamed he saw a Christogram in the sky and heard
the words IN HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS, meaning in Latin "In this sign you will
be the victor." He ordered the sign of Christ on his legions standards and
shields. He won a great victory and later became the first Christian Roman
Emperor

In his compulsory residence (in Nicomedia initially and then
in the imperial residence of Macellum in Cappadocia) he was prevented from
studying in the Neo-Platonist Academies and forced to deepen his knowledge of
Christianity, which the Fabian dynasty and especially Constantius was
establishing as the official State religion (in the last part of his rule,
Constantius – who was a rigid Arian – prohibited any public pagan cult and the
practice of any form of magic). Julian became a sensible and sagacious
scholar and also an extraordinary dissimulator to survive in his very unsteady
situation. He admired Julius Caesar as a politician, general and writer.

The Second Exile

Julian's first exile ended in 351, when his brother Gallus
was recalled to Constantinople to rule the East as Caesar during the western
campaign of Constantius (against Magnentius and others usurpers). Unfortunately,
the rule of Gallus was too harsh and many provinces were on the verge of revolt.
In 354 Gallus was summoned to the imperial court in Milan, stripped of his title
and executed. This was the beginning of a new exile for Julian. He
did not suffer the same fate as his brother because of the intervention of the
Empress Eusebia. She probably also influenced the selection of Athens as
the location for Julian's new compulsory residence.

The second “exile” of Julian lasted for a single year, but it
was sufficient to complete his classic and philosophical background. Julian was
able to turn his compulsory residence in Athens (still one of the melting pots
of the Greek and Hellenistic culture) into a very profitable period of study.

Thanks to his studies, he also understood that the Flavian
choice of the Christianity as the State religion (a political choice, to prevent
divergence , especially in the East, where this
religion was conquering the urban masses and a relevant percent of the upper
class) wasn’t able to bring stability to the Empire.

Magnentius, Augustus 18 January 350 - 10 August 353 A.D.

This reverse was meant to incite the Orthodox Christians of the west against
the Arian Constantius II, who intended to reclaim the western provinces. --
Coinage and History of the Roman Empire by David L. Vagi

Christianity as the State Religion

When the Christians were persecuted by the Roman State, the
contrasts and different tendencies of the various communities were not manifest.
The protection of the State and the rights connected to the status of official
religion of the Empire unleashed the contrasts between Orthodoxies, Arians,
Donatists, Meletians, and others. This religious segregation was deeper
than any previous military and political division: it could have
undermined the moral unity of the Empire.

The Church (unlike the Roman State) was intolerant – this is
a simple historical observation, and the paragon has to be performed with the
Roman religious tolerance and syncretism – and started a methodical and rational
policy of destruction (or, sometimes, forced assimilation) of any living
monument of the ancient and pagan world. The Fourth Century was a period of
extraordinary diffusion of Christianity, but also a Century of classical
renaissance, or – at least – neoclassicism, in reaction to the illiberal
tendencies of the new State religion. The new interpretations of the
classical spirit were imbued of Neo-Platonist and mysteries concepts and
contaminated by oriental religions and Christian and Gnostic principals as
benevolence, equity, charity…

The appointment as Caesar

It is uncertain how Julian regained the confidence of
Constantius: probably the capability to hide his real thoughts was central
in this process. He appeared remissive and adulatory toward Constantius
and extremely diplomatic in general. He was considered harmless, if not
stupid.

In any case, in the fall of 355 Constantius chose Julian as
Caesar and heir and sponsored his marriage with Elena (the Emperor's youngest
sister and Fausta and Constantine’s daughter).

It was in this period that Constantius promulgated his laws
against paganism, and Julian bore everything in silence. Probably his
blood was boiling, because he associated the pagan religion with the classical
spirit of tolerance and freedom of thinking, but his ambition was stronger:
to change something it was necessary to became the new Augustus, and to became
Emperor it was necessary to gain the respect of the legions.

Julian was charged with reestablishment of the imperial
control in Gaul, after the troubles caused by Magnentius and Silvanus’ revolts
and the Frankish and Alamanni’s alarming invasions caused by the lack of the
garrisons on the western front due to the civil wars.
Despite the hostility of his commanders (some of them responsible for the
execution of Gallus), Julian repelled the invaders, pursued them into their
territories and secured the Rhine frontier (establishing a new and powerful
fleet on the waterway).

The military victories of Julian were accompanied by a broad
program to improve the quality of life of the population. In addition to
improving security, he also reduced taxes and reformed the corrupted
bureaucracy.

Julian become Augustus

After control
in the Occident was re-established and Constantius had brought order on the
Danubian border, the emperor requested Julian transfer some legions to fight in
Orient against Persians. Julian's soldiers refused (because this was
contrary to their enlistment pacts) and hailed the popular (at least in
Occident) Julian as Augustus in his quarters at Lutetia. He accepted the
title.

Constantius recalled Julian to Constantinople but he refused
(remembering the fate of his brother Gallus) and moved his troops toward the
Balkans. Constantius did the same, but he fell ill and died enroute to
battle near Tarsus. On his deathbed, he named Julian as his successor and
avoided a new civil war.

Julian entered Constantinople as new dominus at the
end of 361 A.D..

The Apostate

Julian was never cristianus, he was simply obliged by
his father’s tormentors to become Christian and acted as a Christian to avoid
death. He earned the moniker of “Apostate” as a result of his reforms
aimed at reducing the privileges of the Christian religion. He strongly
opposed but did not persecute the church and restored the rights and possessions
of the pagan worshipers. He also wrote a polemic libellus “Against
the Galileans” to show his ideas. His only discriminatory act against
Christians was to prohibit them from teaching rhetoric and grammar (this was an
illiberal decision, but probably aimed at avoiding the Christianisation of some
ancient Greek and Latin authors and the censure of others in the schools…).
All the others measures were aimed at re-establishing a real freedom of
religion. For instance, Julian extended a complete amnesty to the exiled
Orthodoxies (that caused new problems between Christian factions, but this was
inessential in the liberal view of Julian).

Julian II, Augustus February 360 - 26 June or July 363 A.D.

Research indicates the common belief which identifies
the bull as the Apis bull is wrong. An interesting passage from Dio Chrysostom compares a good ruler to a bull. Also, Julian was most likely
born in May, in the in the sign of Taurus. The stars above probably
represent the two important star clusters in Taurus, Pleiades and Hyades.
Taurus or Apis, this bull is pagan and this coin was the last pagan coin
type issued by the Empire.

In reality, Julian worked to promote culture and philosophy
in any manifestation. He tried to reduce taxes and the public debts of
municipalities; he augmented administrative decentralization; he promoted a
campaign of austerity to reduce public expenditure (setting himself as the
example). He reformed the postal service and eliminated the powerful
secret police.

A Currency Reform

In the monetary field, Julian made an important step toward
the normalization of the market: he adjusted the silver/gold ratio in the coins
to a level nearer the ratio of the intrinsic value of two metals. This
reduced private hoarding and generated a revival of the private economy.

The Persian Campaign and the Death

Like many of his predecessors, Julian tried to solve the
“Persian problem” with a military expedition; he launched in the Spring of 363
A.D. His plan was ambitious, because he split his army in a “pincers” to
attach the enemy on two fronts. He remained victorious until June but on
26 June 363 (or July according to some sources) he
was injured in a battle along the banks of the Tigris river. His two
forces would never reunite to execute his plan. He died in his tent from
the wounds received in battle, at 31 or 32 years of age.

Jovian, the Praetorian Prefect of Julian, was proclaimed
emperor. Jovian quickly made peace with the Persians and ended religious
freedom for pagans. It was the end of the projects of “the Apostate”, or
“the Philosopher” (as some would suggest as a better title) Emperor and the
beginning of a new period of instability for the Empire.

The Literary Works of Julian

Julian was a refined scholar and writer. A significant
part of his literary works survived to the Middle Ages. The polemic
Against the Galileans is lost, but we can reconstruct something of it from
the Christian replies. Unfortunately we lost everything of the Commentari
of the Gaul campaign, which he wrote following the example of Caesar.
If we ignore the encomiastic and adulatory orations (To Constantius and
To Eusebia) and the philosophical works (To Eraclios, the Cinic),
the style of Julian (in his Letters and in the Misopogon, a book
against his detractors) is described as concise, nervous, caustic and brilliant,
rich in Classic and Greek reminiscences and quotations.

Note by the author:

To assemble this short paper I just
gathered some of the information contained in the sources I quoted above. If you
have any suggestions or corrections, please let me know at
federico.muras@tiscali.it.

Federico Morando

|Obverse| legends

DNCLIVLANVSAVGDNCLIVLIANVSNCDNCLIVLIANVSNOBCAESDNFLCLIVLIANVSPFAVGDNIVLIANVSNOBCDNIVLIANVSNOBCAESDNIVLIANVSPFAVGFLCLIVLIANVSPFAVGFLCLIVLIANVSAVGFLCLIVLIANVSNOBCFLCLIVLIANVSNOBCAESFLCLIVLIANVSPERPAVGFLCLIVLIANVSPFAVGFLCLIVLIANVSPPAVGIVLIANVSAVG ANONYMOUS COINS ATTRIBUTED TO THE REIGN OF JULIANDEOSERAPIDIDEOSARAPIDIISISFARIAIOVICONSERVATORI

|Dictionary of Roman Coins|

Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.Julianus II, Julianus (Flavius Claudius) [Julian II], usually called Julian the Apostate, because he, at an early age, abandoned the Christian faith, and, as soon as he had the power, restored the worship of idols, which he pretended to reform, but which he in fact enforced in all the bigoted extravagance and blind absurdity of Pagan superstition.

He was the son of Julius Constantius, nephew of Constantine the Great, and brother of Constantius Gallus, born at Constantinople A.D. 331. He was created Caesar A.D. 355, and married Helena, sister of Constantius II. The government of Gaul, Spain, and Britain was committed to his charge.

He repulsed the Germans from Gaul, and established himself at Lutetiae, now Paris, in 358. Proclaimed emperor by the troops in 360; the death of Constantius soon after left him sole master of the empire. Julian II was a great general, a man of learning, a fine writer, possessing many qualities of a wise, energetic, and excellent prince; but in matters of religion one of the weakest, most fantastic, and mischievous of mankind.

This declared and inveterate enemy of Christianity made war upon Persia, with decided success; but was slain in an engagement on the banks of the Tigris, at the age of 31, A.D. 362, in the fourth year of his reign.

His second brass and third brass coins are, with certain exceptions, common; his silver of the usual size, are by no means scarce; but his gold are rare: On these he is styled D N IVLIANVS NOB CAES - IMP FL CL IVLIANVS PERP or PF AVG.

"The Caesars" of Julian, a work which that emperor wrote in Greek, is a remarkable proof no less of his scholarship than of his talent for raillery and satire. The translation of that extraordinary production by Ezech. Spanheim, illustrated by the most learned remarks, mythological, historical, and numismatic, enriched by a profusion of medals and other ancient monuments, is one of the most interesting as well as instructive volumes which can be persued by the student of the medallic science.Julian II is noted, by Ammianus his pagan admirer, but by no means indiscriminate panegyrist, for having made himself very conspicuous in wearing a long and bushy beard, which amongst courtiers of Constantius procured for him the derisive appellation of a goat (capellam non hominem). In confirmation of this alleged peculiarity we find him on many of his coins "bearded like a pard:" as Caesar he appears with naked head; but as emperor he wears a diadem ornamented with precious stones.

Under the reign of Julian II coins were struck, which Banduri exhibits, and which Eckhel comments upon, inscribed DEO SERAPIDI (see the words), and VOTA PVBLICA, shewing that his philosophic contemner of the Christian mysteries was not ashamed to stamp his imperial coinage with representations of Serapis, Isis, and Anubis, and to revive the monstrous Egyptian idolatry.

Arelate (the modern city of Arles) was renamed Constantina in 330, to
reflect the ruling Constantine dynasty at the time. This change was
also reflected in the mintmark, and often causes misattribution of coins
to Constantinople. The pattern is easy to spot if you watch for it, as
coins of Arelate will have the officina mark before the city name,
while the coins of Constantinople have the name before the officina.
Also, an eagle often appears on Julian's Arelate coins - either before
the bull on the large-module coins, or in the medallion at the top of
the wreath on his VOT/X/MULT/XX coins.

Rev:SECVRITASREIPVB - Bull walking right, two stars above.
Eagle standing to right with a wreath in his beak, either carrying something or perched on something.Ex:PCONST

Van Meter 25v, SRCV 4073, LRBC 2 468/9

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Draped bust right wearing a pearl diadem.Rev:SECVRITASREIPVB - Bull walking right, two stars above.
Eagle standing to right with a wreath in his beak.Ex:PCONST(dot)

Van Meter 25v, SRCV 4073, LRBC 2 469

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Helmeted, and draped bust left, wearing a pearl diadem over the helmet and holding a spear and a shield.Rev:VOT / X / MVLT / X X - Legend in four lines enclosed by a wreath.
At the top of the wreath is an eagle medallion.Ex:CONST
Officina number off flan. Interesting radiate design on shield.Van Meter 28, SRCV 4074v, LRBC 2 470

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Helmeted, and draped bust left, wearing a
pearl diadem over the helmet and holding a spear and a shield.Rev:VOT / X / MVLT / X X - Legend in four lines enclosed by a wreath.Ex:(dot)CONSPA(branch)(dot)
Mint mark is troublesome - the CONSPA is clear, but the surrounding devices aren't.
The dot before is certain, but the branch-dot after is very vague. This would match the
mint mark on LRBC2-2058, which is only believed to exist on AE1's (the bull coins).
The only recorded mint mark for this AE3 in LRBC2 is (branch)CONSPA(branch).Van Meter 28, SRCV 4074v, LRBC 2 2060v

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Helmeted, and draped bust left, wearing a
pearl diadem over the helmet and holding a spear and a shield.Rev:VOT / X / MVLT / X X - Legend in four lines enclosed by a wreath.Ex:(branch)CONSA(branch)
This pattern of mintmark not recorded in the LRBC. The officina mark is difficult to
make out - either an "A" or a delta.Van Meter 28, SRCV 4074v, LRBC 2 2060v

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Helmeted, and draped bust left, wearing a
pearl diadem over the helmet and holding a spear and a shield.Rev:VOT / X / MVLT / X X - Legend in four lines enclosed by a wreath.Ex:(branch)CONSPB(branch)

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Beardless draped bust right wearing a
pearl diadem.Rev:SECVRIT...VB - Bull walking right, two stars above.Ex:...IIC
One of my favorites. Looks almost good enough to be official, except for the odd nose.
But wait - what happened to the beard? Also, the mint mark on the reverse is poorly done
- perhaps this was off the flan on the original?Van Meter 25v, SRCV 4072v, LRBC 2.----

The following catalogue references are used for the coins throughout this site:Van Meter - "The Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins" by David Van Meter (1991) - My favorite general reference.SRCV - "Roman Coins and Their Values" - by David Sear (1988)LRBC - "Late Roman Bronze Coinage" Part II - by Carson, Hill, & Kent (1978)

The Coins of Julian IIlast modified: 7 Mar 2006

Julian II

Flavius Claudius Iulianus was born in 331 or maybe 332 A.D. in Constantinople. He ruled the Western Empire as Caesar from 355 to 360 and was hailed Augustus by his legions in Lutetia (Paris) in 360. Julian was a gifted administrator and military strategist. Famed as the last pagan emperor, his reinstatement of the pagan religion earned him the moniker "the Apostate." As evidenced by his brilliant writing, some of which has survived to the present day, the title "the Philosopher" may have been more appropriate. He died from wounds suffered during the Persian campaign of 363 A.D.

Paris,
Louvre

JULIAN II The Apostate

|Caesar|, 6 November 355 - February 360 A.D.
|Augustus|, February 360 - 26 June or July 363 A.D.

by Federico Morando

Flavius Claudius Iulianus ,
know as Julian the Apostate, was born in 331 (or maybe 332) A.D. in
Constantinople. He ruled as Caesar the Western part of the Empire
between 355 and 360; he was hailed Augustus by his legions in
Lutetia (Paris) in 360. His death was caused by wounds he suffered
during the Persian campaign of 363.

The Youth and the First Exile

Julian was the son of Iulius Constantius, Constantine's
half-brother. When he was six years old, in the fall of 337, Julian and
Constantius Gallus, his older brother, were the only two spared during the
massacre of the male heirs of Constantius I Chlorus. (Responsibility for this
carnage was attributed to Constantius II, the eastern Augustus at that time, and
Julian’s cousin.) For Julian this was the beginning of a “golden” exile,
under the tutelage of the eunuch Mardonius and the philosopher Nicocles – the
latter secretly a pagan.

Constantius II, Augustus 22 May 337 - 3 November 361 A.D.

In 312 A.D., Constantine dreamed he saw a Christogram in the sky and heard
the words IN HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS, meaning in Latin "In this sign you will
be the victor." He ordered the sign of Christ on his legions standards and
shields. He won a great victory and later became the first Christian Roman
Emperor

In his compulsory residence (in Nicomedia initially and then
in the imperial residence of Macellum in Cappadocia) he was prevented from
studying in the Neo-Platonist Academies and forced to deepen his knowledge of
Christianity, which the Fabian dynasty and especially Constantius was
establishing as the official State religion (in the last part of his rule,
Constantius – who was a rigid Arian – prohibited any public pagan cult and the
practice of any form of magic). Julian became a sensible and sagacious
scholar and also an extraordinary dissimulator to survive in his very unsteady
situation. He admired Julius Caesar as a politician, general and writer.

The Second Exile

Julian's first exile ended in 351, when his brother Gallus
was recalled to Constantinople to rule the East as Caesar during the western
campaign of Constantius (against Magnentius and others usurpers). Unfortunately,
the rule of Gallus was too harsh and many provinces were on the verge of revolt.
In 354 Gallus was summoned to the imperial court in Milan, stripped of his title
and executed. This was the beginning of a new exile for Julian. He
did not suffer the same fate as his brother because of the intervention of the
Empress Eusebia. She probably also influenced the selection of Athens as
the location for Julian's new compulsory residence.

The second “exile” of Julian lasted for a single year, but it
was sufficient to complete his classic and philosophical background. Julian was
able to turn his compulsory residence in Athens (still one of the melting pots
of the Greek and Hellenistic culture) into a very profitable period of study.

Thanks to his studies, he also understood that the Flavian
choice of the Christianity as the State religion (a political choice, to prevent
divergence , especially in the East, where this
religion was conquering the urban masses and a relevant percent of the upper
class) wasn’t able to bring stability to the Empire.

Magnentius, Augustus 18 January 350 - 10 August 353 A.D.

This reverse was meant to incite the Orthodox Christians of the west against
the Arian Constantius II, who intended to reclaim the western provinces. --
Coinage and History of the Roman Empire by David L. Vagi

Christianity as the State Religion

When the Christians were persecuted by the Roman State, the
contrasts and different tendencies of the various communities were not manifest.
The protection of the State and the rights connected to the status of official
religion of the Empire unleashed the contrasts between Orthodoxies, Arians,
Donatists, Meletians, and others. This religious segregation was deeper
than any previous military and political division: it could have
undermined the moral unity of the Empire.

The Church (unlike the Roman State) was intolerant – this is
a simple historical observation, and the paragon has to be performed with the
Roman religious tolerance and syncretism – and started a methodical and rational
policy of destruction (or, sometimes, forced assimilation) of any living
monument of the ancient and pagan world. The Fourth Century was a period of
extraordinary diffusion of Christianity, but also a Century of classical
renaissance, or – at least – neoclassicism, in reaction to the illiberal
tendencies of the new State religion. The new interpretations of the
classical spirit were imbued of Neo-Platonist and mysteries concepts and
contaminated by oriental religions and Christian and Gnostic principals as
benevolence, equity, charity…

The appointment as Caesar

It is uncertain how Julian regained the confidence of
Constantius: probably the capability to hide his real thoughts was central
in this process. He appeared remissive and adulatory toward Constantius
and extremely diplomatic in general. He was considered harmless, if not
stupid.

In any case, in the fall of 355 Constantius chose Julian as
Caesar and heir and sponsored his marriage with Elena (the Emperor's youngest
sister and Fausta and Constantine’s daughter).

It was in this period that Constantius promulgated his laws
against paganism, and Julian bore everything in silence. Probably his
blood was boiling, because he associated the pagan religion with the classical
spirit of tolerance and freedom of thinking, but his ambition was stronger:
to change something it was necessary to became the new Augustus, and to became
Emperor it was necessary to gain the respect of the legions.

Julian was charged with reestablishment of the imperial
control in Gaul, after the troubles caused by Magnentius and Silvanus’ revolts
and the Frankish and Alamanni’s alarming invasions caused by the lack of the
garrisons on the western front due to the civil wars.
Despite the hostility of his commanders (some of them responsible for the
execution of Gallus), Julian repelled the invaders, pursued them into their
territories and secured the Rhine frontier (establishing a new and powerful
fleet on the waterway).

The military victories of Julian were accompanied by a broad
program to improve the quality of life of the population. In addition to
improving security, he also reduced taxes and reformed the corrupted
bureaucracy.

Julian become Augustus

After control
in the Occident was re-established and Constantius had brought order on the
Danubian border, the emperor requested Julian transfer some legions to fight in
Orient against Persians. Julian's soldiers refused (because this was
contrary to their enlistment pacts) and hailed the popular (at least in
Occident) Julian as Augustus in his quarters at Lutetia. He accepted the
title.

Constantius recalled Julian to Constantinople but he refused
(remembering the fate of his brother Gallus) and moved his troops toward the
Balkans. Constantius did the same, but he fell ill and died enroute to
battle near Tarsus. On his deathbed, he named Julian as his successor and
avoided a new civil war.

Julian entered Constantinople as new dominus at the
end of 361 A.D..

The Apostate

Julian was never cristianus, he was simply obliged by
his father’s tormentors to become Christian and acted as a Christian to avoid
death. He earned the moniker of “Apostate” as a result of his reforms
aimed at reducing the privileges of the Christian religion. He strongly
opposed but did not persecute the church and restored the rights and possessions
of the pagan worshipers. He also wrote a polemic libellus “Against
the Galileans” to show his ideas. His only discriminatory act against
Christians was to prohibit them from teaching rhetoric and grammar (this was an
illiberal decision, but probably aimed at avoiding the Christianisation of some
ancient Greek and Latin authors and the censure of others in the schools…).
All the others measures were aimed at re-establishing a real freedom of
religion. For instance, Julian extended a complete amnesty to the exiled
Orthodoxies (that caused new problems between Christian factions, but this was
inessential in the liberal view of Julian).

Julian II, Augustus February 360 - 26 June or July 363 A.D.

Research indicates the common belief which identifies
the bull as the Apis bull is wrong. An interesting passage from Dio Chrysostom compares a good ruler to a bull. Also, Julian was most likely
born in May, in the in the sign of Taurus. The stars above probably
represent the two important star clusters in Taurus, Pleiades and Hyades.
Taurus or Apis, this bull is pagan and this coin was the last pagan coin
type issued by the Empire.

In reality, Julian worked to promote culture and philosophy
in any manifestation. He tried to reduce taxes and the public debts of
municipalities; he augmented administrative decentralization; he promoted a
campaign of austerity to reduce public expenditure (setting himself as the
example). He reformed the postal service and eliminated the powerful
secret police.

A Currency Reform

In the monetary field, Julian made an important step toward
the normalization of the market: he adjusted the silver/gold ratio in the coins
to a level nearer the ratio of the intrinsic value of two metals. This
reduced private hoarding and generated a revival of the private economy.

The Persian Campaign and the Death

Like many of his predecessors, Julian tried to solve the
“Persian problem” with a military expedition; he launched in the Spring of 363
A.D. His plan was ambitious, because he split his army in a “pincers” to
attach the enemy on two fronts. He remained victorious until June but on
26 June 363 (or July according to some sources) he
was injured in a battle along the banks of the Tigris river. His two
forces would never reunite to execute his plan. He died in his tent from
the wounds received in battle, at 31 or 32 years of age.

Jovian, the Praetorian Prefect of Julian, was proclaimed
emperor. Jovian quickly made peace with the Persians and ended religious
freedom for pagans. It was the end of the projects of “the Apostate”, or
“the Philosopher” (as some would suggest as a better title) Emperor and the
beginning of a new period of instability for the Empire.

The Literary Works of Julian

Julian was a refined scholar and writer. A significant
part of his literary works survived to the Middle Ages. The polemic
Against the Galileans is lost, but we can reconstruct something of it from
the Christian replies. Unfortunately we lost everything of the Commentari
of the Gaul campaign, which he wrote following the example of Caesar.
If we ignore the encomiastic and adulatory orations (To Constantius and
To Eusebia) and the philosophical works (To Eraclios, the Cinic),
the style of Julian (in his Letters and in the Misopogon, a book
against his detractors) is described as concise, nervous, caustic and brilliant,
rich in Classic and Greek reminiscences and quotations.

Note by the author:

To assemble this short paper I just
gathered some of the information contained in the sources I quoted above. If you
have any suggestions or corrections, please let me know at
federico.muras@tiscali.it.

Federico Morando

|Obverse| legends

DNCLIVLANVSAVGDNCLIVLIANVSNCDNCLIVLIANVSNOBCAESDNFLCLIVLIANVSPFAVGDNIVLIANVSNOBCDNIVLIANVSNOBCAESDNIVLIANVSPFAVGFLCLIVLIANVSPFAVGFLCLIVLIANVSAVGFLCLIVLIANVSNOBCFLCLIVLIANVSNOBCAESFLCLIVLIANVSPERPAVGFLCLIVLIANVSPFAVGFLCLIVLIANVSPPAVGIVLIANVSAVG ANONYMOUS COINS ATTRIBUTED TO THE REIGN OF JULIANDEOSERAPIDIDEOSARAPIDIISISFARIAIOVICONSERVATORI

|Dictionary of Roman Coins|

Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.Julianus II, Julianus (Flavius Claudius) [Julian II], usually called Julian the Apostate, because he, at an early age, abandoned the Christian faith, and, as soon as he had the power, restored the worship of idols, which he pretended to reform, but which he in fact enforced in all the bigoted extravagance and blind absurdity of Pagan superstition.

He was the son of Julius Constantius, nephew of Constantine the Great, and brother of Constantius Gallus, born at Constantinople A.D. 331. He was created Caesar A.D. 355, and married Helena, sister of Constantius II. The government of Gaul, Spain, and Britain was committed to his charge.

He repulsed the Germans from Gaul, and established himself at Lutetiae, now Paris, in 358. Proclaimed emperor by the troops in 360; the death of Constantius soon after left him sole master of the empire. Julian II was a great general, a man of learning, a fine writer, possessing many qualities of a wise, energetic, and excellent prince; but in matters of religion one of the weakest, most fantastic, and mischievous of mankind.

This declared and inveterate enemy of Christianity made war upon Persia, with decided success; but was slain in an engagement on the banks of the Tigris, at the age of 31, A.D. 362, in the fourth year of his reign.

His second brass and third brass coins are, with certain exceptions, common; his silver of the usual size, are by no means scarce; but his gold are rare: On these he is styled D N IVLIANVS NOB CAES - IMP FL CL IVLIANVS PERP or PF AVG.

"The Caesars" of Julian, a work which that emperor wrote in Greek, is a remarkable proof no less of his scholarship than of his talent for raillery and satire. The translation of that extraordinary production by Ezech. Spanheim, illustrated by the most learned remarks, mythological, historical, and numismatic, enriched by a profusion of medals and other ancient monuments, is one of the most interesting as well as instructive volumes which can be persued by the student of the medallic science.Julian II is noted, by Ammianus his pagan admirer, but by no means indiscriminate panegyrist, for having made himself very conspicuous in wearing a long and bushy beard, which amongst courtiers of Constantius procured for him the derisive appellation of a goat (capellam non hominem). In confirmation of this alleged peculiarity we find him on many of his coins "bearded like a pard:" as Caesar he appears with naked head; but as emperor he wears a diadem ornamented with precious stones.

Under the reign of Julian II coins were struck, which Banduri exhibits, and which Eckhel comments upon, inscribed DEO SERAPIDI (see the words), and VOTA PVBLICA, shewing that his philosophic contemner of the Christian mysteries was not ashamed to stamp his imperial coinage with representations of Serapis, Isis, and Anubis, and to revive the monstrous Egyptian idolatry.

Arelate (the modern city of Arles) was renamed Constantina in 330, to
reflect the ruling Constantine dynasty at the time. This change was
also reflected in the mintmark, and often causes misattribution of coins
to Constantinople. The pattern is easy to spot if you watch for it, as
coins of Arelate will have the officina mark before the city name,
while the coins of Constantinople have the name before the officina.
Also, an eagle often appears on Julian's Arelate coins - either before
the bull on the large-module coins, or in the medallion at the top of
the wreath on his VOT/X/MULT/XX coins.

Rev:SECVRITASREIPVB - Bull walking right, two stars above.
Eagle standing to right with a wreath in his beak, either carrying something or perched on something.Ex:PCONST

Van Meter 25v, SRCV 4073, LRBC 2 468/9

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Draped bust right wearing a pearl diadem.Rev:SECVRITASREIPVB - Bull walking right, two stars above.
Eagle standing to right with a wreath in his beak.Ex:PCONST(dot)

Van Meter 25v, SRCV 4073, LRBC 2 469

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Helmeted, and draped bust left, wearing a pearl diadem over the helmet and holding a spear and a shield.Rev:VOT / X / MVLT / X X - Legend in four lines enclosed by a wreath.
At the top of the wreath is an eagle medallion.Ex:CONST
Officina number off flan. Interesting radiate design on shield.Van Meter 28, SRCV 4074v, LRBC 2 470

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Helmeted, and draped bust left, wearing a
pearl diadem over the helmet and holding a spear and a shield.Rev:VOT / X / MVLT / X X - Legend in four lines enclosed by a wreath.Ex:(dot)CONSPA(branch)(dot)
Mint mark is troublesome - the CONSPA is clear, but the surrounding devices aren't.
The dot before is certain, but the branch-dot after is very vague. This would match the
mint mark on LRBC2-2058, which is only believed to exist on AE1's (the bull coins).
The only recorded mint mark for this AE3 in LRBC2 is (branch)CONSPA(branch).Van Meter 28, SRCV 4074v, LRBC 2 2060v

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Helmeted, and draped bust left, wearing a
pearl diadem over the helmet and holding a spear and a shield.Rev:VOT / X / MVLT / X X - Legend in four lines enclosed by a wreath.Ex:(branch)CONSA(branch)
This pattern of mintmark not recorded in the LRBC. The officina mark is difficult to
make out - either an "A" or a delta.Van Meter 28, SRCV 4074v, LRBC 2 2060v

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Helmeted, and draped bust left, wearing a
pearl diadem over the helmet and holding a spear and a shield.Rev:VOT / X / MVLT / X X - Legend in four lines enclosed by a wreath.Ex:(branch)CONSPB(branch)

Obv:DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAVG - Beardless draped bust right wearing a
pearl diadem.Rev:SECVRIT...VB - Bull walking right, two stars above.Ex:...IIC
One of my favorites. Looks almost good enough to be official, except for the odd nose.
But wait - what happened to the beard? Also, the mint mark on the reverse is poorly done
- perhaps this was off the flan on the original?Van Meter 25v, SRCV 4072v, LRBC 2.----

The following catalogue references are used for the coins throughout this site:Van Meter - "The Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins" by David Van Meter (1991) - My favorite general reference.SRCV - "Roman Coins and Their Values" - by David Sear (1988)LRBC - "Late Roman Bronze Coinage" Part II - by Carson, Hill, & Kent (1978)